The Catalyst
by In The Beginning
Summary: A catalyst is defined as an agent that provokes or speeds significant change or action. That could not have been a more accurate description of the events that happened that day at Hope Hospital. [Complete]
1. Strange Results

(Taking a small break from my "Final Fantasy" fic to write this twoshot!

Which was originally going to be a oneshot... but had to be split up due to me not wanting to write a million-word chapter.

Alright, fine, not a million... nine hundred thousand. -shot-

Before I forget- Greg gets blood test results from the lab. The weight, height, that kind of stuff- that was in the file before the lab technicians got a hold of it. They're not THAT good. XD

No summary here, because once you start reading, you'll know what it's about right away.

Characters © Nintendo(or Atlus. GAH. I'll just keep saying Nintendo until I get sued, how's that?)

--------

The Catalyst

Chapter One- Strange Results

--------

"Dr. Kasal, here are the lab results you asked for."

"For Miss Reid?"

"Yes, sir. Also, we drew too much blood when we took the sample for testing... we have about fifty cc's left over. Should we dispose of it?"

"...no, don't throw it out yet. We might need it later. Tell the technicians to hold on onto it."

"Yes, Dr. Kasal. I'll go let them know, and then I'll check on Miss Reid."

"Thank you."

The nurse left Dr. Kasal's office. Dr. Kasal sat at his desk, carefully reading the paperwork.

_Patient Name: Reid, Linda_

_Age: 17_

_Height: 69.2 inches_

_Weight: 92.5 lbs_

_Blood pH: 7.4_

_Glucose levels: 96 mg/dL_

Everything looked okay so far... she could stand to gain a few pounds, but Dr. Kasal wasn't so worried about that.

_WBC: 12,000_

_Hemoglobin: 13.6 g/dL_

She had probably been sick a little while ago; her white blood cell count was on the higher side. She was also a bit anemic... but not dangerously so. She wouldn't need a blood transfusion...

Seeing that everything looked fairly normal, Dr. Kasal let his eyes drift down to the technician's comments.

_Unusual reaction when in contact with physostigmine. 600 mg of syprohedrine found. __Not__ 60; 600._

...six _hundred?!_ Dr. Kasal checked it again to make sure he wasn't hallucinating... but the technician had even confirmed that it wasn't a mistake...

"...but... this is... it's not even possible...!" he muttered, glancing over the lab report one more time. "Even if she could be taking this..."

Dr. Kasal slowly stood, leaving his office, taking the file with him.

Derek had to know about this.

--------

Dr. Kasal walked into Derek's office to find the young surgeon and Angie Thompson doing paperwork.

"Derek, we just got some strange test results back on Linda Reid," Dr. Kasal spoke, attracting the attention of Derek Stiles and his blonde assistant.

"...do they explain the bleeding in her lungs...?" Derek asked, putting down his pen.

"I'm not sure it's _directly_ related," Dr. Kasal frowned slightly as he handed the file to Derek, "but they found extremely high levels of syprohedrine in her blood."

"Sypro...?" Derek's eyes reflected his confusion. "What's that?"

"It's a new antihistamine, Doctor," Angie piped up. "They're usually used to treat allergies."

"...I know what antihistamines do," Derek replied. "But... why didn't she tell us she was on medication?"

"Because she wasn't."

Derek turned to face Dr. Kasal.

"Drugs including syprohedrine are still in clinical trial..." Dr. Kasal explained. "Also, our tests indicated twenty-four times the suggested dosage."

"Side effects from overdose include headaches and emotional distress..." Angie recalled.

"In extreme cases, the mood swings can be serious enough to prompt suicide."

"That explains her death wish," Derek muttered.

"It may have contributed, but I doubt that it's the primary cause," Dr. Kasal commented, running a hand through his dark brown hair. "Still, I've never heard of syprohedrine being synthesized within the body. ...whatever's creating it may be what caused those lacerations--"

The door to the office flung open; the nurse who had given Dr. Kasal the file with Linda's lab results burst in, a frightened look on her face. She turned to face the senior surgeon.

"D-Doctor...!"

A worried frown crossed Dr. Kasal's face.

"What is it?!"

"Miss Reid's condition is getting worse! She's complaining about excruciating chest pain!"

"_What?!_"

--------

Linda Reid was sobbing with pain, gasping for breath as she clawed at her chest.

"It... it hurts...!" she cried out. The supervising nurse attempted to placate the teen.

"Please, Miss Reid, hold on, they're on their way--"

The door to room 107 opened; Derek rushed in, closely followed by Angie and Dr. Kasal.

"Linda!"

Linda looked up to see Derek standing near her.

"Doctor... I... I want... to live," the young teen choked out. "I want... to live, Doctor... _please_...!"

"We're going into surgery!" Dr. Kasal barked to the supervising nurse. "Get her down to the OR! Derek, you're doing the operation; Angie, alert the staff. Hurry!"

"Yes, sir!"

--------

"Her blood pressure is dropping at a frightening rate... we suspect hemorrhaging in her lungs again..."

Dr. Kasal quickly briefed Derek as they headed for the operating room.

"There has to be some sort of explanation for this... Derek, you should have two objectives for this operation; treat any wounds in the thoracic cavity, and, if possible, find out what's causing the lacerations. I'll be working as your assistant... just stay calm, Derek."

"...she wants to live... I have to save her! I _will_ save her!" Derek vowed as they walked into the OR.

--------

(End chapter one.

So, who can guess what this is about? XD

I think I've found my chapter-typing-band; White Stripes all the way, baby!

Ahem... I wasn't aiming for direct, from the game text. There's no originality in that... :D

Chapter two should be up soon, as well as another chapter to my "Final Fantasy" story. Please review and let me know what you thought!)


	2. Turning Point

(Chapter two! Yay!

I did some serious power-writing for this chapter... hopefully I didn't sacrifice quality for speed. I don't like posting crap... but that would make me different from normal... how?

Wow, caffeine withdrawal.

Chapter now!

Characters © Nintendo

GUILT(Gangliated Utrophin Immuno Latency Toxin) © Nintendo)

--------

The Catalyst

Chapter Two- Turning Point

--------

"Why...?!" Angie let out a dry sob. "She said she wanted to live...!"

"I don't know..." Dr. Kasal shook his head as Derek sanitized the area he was about to cut. "And these symptoms don't add up... Derek, be careful during the operation. Prepare for anything."

"Yes, Dr. Kasal."

"Angie, keep an eye on the monitors."

"Scalpel."

"...good luck, everyone," Angie spoke softly as she handed Derek the scalpel.

Derek quickly made his incision, spreading the cut open wider so he could see the lung--

"What?!" Dr. Kasal's hazel eyes widened in shock and alarm. Angie looked into the wound--

"But... how?! We fixed these three days ago!" Angie cried.

Four small, criss-crossing cuts were on Linda's right lung... along with three gaping lacerations, oozing blood everywhere.

"How did this--" Derek started.

"Derek, Miss Reid is still weak from her first lobectomy," Dr. Kasal interrupted, frowning, his hazel eyes serious. "Use the same technique as before... but _be careful!_"

"Of course, Dr. Kasal... drain."

Derek quickly drained one of the large lacerations.

"Forceps."

The wound was quickly closed.

"Stitches."

It was sutured shut.

"Vitals are at thirty, Dr. Stiles."

"Stabilizer."

Derek quickly injected the green liquid into Linda's lung tissue.

"...sixty-five, Dr. Stiles."

"Drain."

He quickly drained, closed and sutured the other two gaping wounds; Linda's vitals stopped dropping at such a fast rate.

"Treatment is going well, Doctor... please continue."

"This is strange..." Dr. Kasal muttered as Derek sutured the smaller wounds. "We still have no idea what's causing these lacerations..."

"...Dr. Kasal, I'm done. ...I don't see anything unusual."

"So, what next?" Angie queried.

"We'll have to do some testing later..." Dr. Kasal sighed, running a hand through his dark brown hair. "Alright... nice job, Derek. Suture the incision and--"

A large laceration suddenly formed on the lung.

"Wh-what is that...?!" Angie gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

"What the hell is going on?!" Dr. Kasal barked.

"Doctor, try using the ultrasound!" Angie quickly shoved the surgical instrument into Derek's hand. The young surgeon quickly scanned the organ, hiding his shock, trying to locate the source of the--

"There! It... something's moving!"

"What?!"

"Angie, scalpel!"

Derek made a small incision--

"What the hell is that...!?" Dr. Kasal growled.

A small, blue creature swam across the surface of the lung. Its broad head resembled an arrowhead; its long tail ended in a sharpened point. The red spot on its back glowed dimly as it skated forward... and a long gash suddenly appeared underneath its body.

"I've never seen anything like this...!"

"Doctor, we have to get it out of her! What if we tried incinerating it with the laser?" Angie suggested, holding the laser out to Derek.

"...good idea, Angie," Dr. Kasal nodded as Derek took the surgical tool. "Be careful, Derek."

Derek carefully focused the laser on the parasite. It flew away, screeching in pain... a sure sign it had been struck.

"That's it, keep burning it...!" Angie urged.

After another zap with the laser, the creature rolled onto its back, revealing a sharp appendage on its underside before it disintegrated into nothing.

"Angie, good thinking with the laser," Dr. Kasal complimented, allowing a smile to grace his face. "It would have been dangerous to remove that thing alive."

"Stitches."

Derek quickly sutured the wounds caused by the parasitic being.

"That little creature made all those lacerations?" the young surgeon muttered as he finished tying the last knot.

"Apparently so," Dr. Kasal replied. "I wonder where it came from--"

Two more lacerations suddenly formed on the lung...

"No... it can't be!" Dr. Kasal's eyes widened.

"More of them?!" Angie gasped.

"Derek, you have to destroy them all," Dr. Kasal ordered, his expression deathly serious. "It's the only way to save her!"

"Understood- ultrasound!"

There were two shadows swimming just below the surface of the organ--

"Scalpel!"

A quick incision revealed two more of the blue-bodied creatures--

"Here's the laser, Dr. Stiles!"

Derek quickly burned away at one of the creatures; it soon curled up, disappearing as it died. The second one suffered the same fate...

"How many are there...!?" Angie wondered as she handed the suturing thread and needle to Derek, who quickly began sewing the gashes that had appeared.

"There don't seem to be any more now..." Dr. Kasal muttered, a frown on his face as Derek finished suturing the final cut. "Derek, check the lung for any--"

A star-shaped set of lacerations suddenly appeared; blood spurted everywhere--

"Gah!" Derek cried, quickly suturing the wounds...

"Derek, you have to find it!" Dr. Kasal barked.

"Ultrasound!"

The shadow that appeared was nearly three times larger than before; Derek drew it out of hiding--

"Oh my God--!" Angie's green eyes widened as she handed the laser to Derek. "Is that--"

"Quickly, Derek, you need to burn it!"

The young, brunette surgeon quickly focused the laser onto the red spot on the creature's back; it hissed, burrowing under the surface of the lung--

"It's hiding... you'll have to keep cutting it out and burning it," Dr. Kasal informed.

"Yes, Dr. Kasal. Ultrasound."

Derek quickly located the parasite's shadow; he drew it out of hiding, then incinerated it with the laser. It slid back into the organ--

"One more time should do it..." Dr. Kasal muttered as Derek used the ultrasound to locate the creature once again--

"Scalpel."

A quick incision, and it was brought out of hiding one last time--

"Laser."

One final zap with the laser... the parasite stopped moving, disintegrating into nothing.

"That... should be the last one..." Dr. Kasal spoke, slightly hesitant as Derek sutured the lacerations and raised Linda's vitals.

"...it's over..." Angie breathed.

"Let's closer her up," Dr. Kasal sighed, running a hand through his hair, a relieved smile on his face. "Derek, Angie, you both did well."

"Thank you, Dr. Kasal... stitches, Angie."

"Of course, Dr. Stiles."

When Derek got the threaded needle, he began to suture the initial incision. Dr. Kasal's smile was replaced by a frown...

"Don't tell me that strange parasite was the one--" he muttered softly.

"Could that have been... GUILT?" Angie murmured.

Dr. Kasal immediately shot a shocked glance at Angie.

"...what's going on?" Derek asked, sensing tension.

_Why did they stop talking?_

"Uh... Derek, continue- please suture the incision," Dr. Kasal instructed as he snapped back to reality.

"...yes, Dr. Kasal."

The wound was sutured, sanitized and bandaged.

"She should finally be able to recover..." Angie sighed with relief. "Good work, Dr. Stiles... let's get her out--"

"Wait."

All eyes turned towards Dr. Kasal. His expression was extremely serious.

"I'd like to remind everyone here that the details of this operation are strictly confidential. Derek, bring Linda's medical files to my office immediately. I will provide updates when appropriate. ...that is all for today."

He began to leave, but was stopped by Angie.

"Doctor..." she spoke softly. "Could that have been GUILT?"

"...how would you _know_ about that...?"

"I don't know much..." Angie admitted. "...it was mentioned in my father's research a few times..."

"When would your father come across something like GUILT...?" Dr. Kasal muttered.

"Well, he _was_ a researcher... other than that, I don't really know that much," Angie shrugged.

"...give me some time to examine the situation," Dr. Kasal let out an exasperated sigh. "Until then, don't mention GUILT to anyone... alright, Angie?"

"Yes, Doctor," Angie nodded.

Derek was beyond confused.

_What the hell is GUILT?_

--------

Dr. Kasal was reading over Linda Reid's medical files in his office when the nurse watching over the young teen walked in.

"Dr. Kasal, Miss Reid just woke up."

"How is she doing?"

"She's doing very well; her vitals are stable, her newest hemoglobin test was fifteen point three, and she says she's not feeling any pain anywhere."

Dr. Kasal breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good. ...do we still have some of that extra blood from before the second operation...?"

"Yes, we do."

"Alright... I need it. ...I need to make an important delivery."

The nurse paused.

"You're going to drop it off at Caduceus, aren't you?"

Dr. Kasal smiled briefly.

"Yeah... just to make sure that this... isn't what I think it is."

"I understand, sir. I'll go get the blood... you'll have it in five minutes."

She left quickly.

Five minutes...

That would be just enough time to fill out a certain form...

Dr. Kasal quickly pulled out the paperwork from his desk.

_Letter of Recommendation_

_Name: Derek Stiles_

_Age: 26_

_Occupation: Surgeon(Hope Hospital; Angeles Bay area)_...

Dr. Kasal quickly filled out the form, signing his name when he reached the bottom.

Hopefully, his brother would be willing to accept another young surgeon onto his staff...

--------

(End story.

HA. Power-writing is awesome.

Ending could be better, I suppose... but it's not that bad, in my opinion.

Of course, I would like to know all of _your_ opinions... please review!)


End file.
